Kathmandu — After weeks of severe drought, rainfall has finally arrived in Madhesh Province, offering relief to farmers struggling with parched fields.
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology reported light to moderate rainfall across Madhesh and other southern plains since Monday morning, following the activation of the monsoon nationwide.The department forecasts cloudy skies across Nepal during the day, with moderate rain, thunder, and lightning expected in most areas.
Heavy rainfall is also likely in parts of Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini provinces.The rainfall has rekindled hope among Madhesh farmers, who faced a prolonged dry spell that halted paddy transplantation for nearly six weeks.
Cracks had appeared in fields where planting had begun, and drying wells, tube wells, and irrigation systems made transplantation impossible. Some areas also faced drinking water shortages.
Sudip Chaudhary, Information Officer at the Directorate of Agricultural Development under the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture, and Cooperatives in Madhesh Province, confirmed the rainfall’s positive impact.
“Paddy seedlings prepared for transplantation were drying out, and subsoil moisture had drastically reduced,” he said, “The recent rains have revived canals and improved groundwater levels.”
With transplantation no longer viable due to dried seedlings, farmers are now adopting Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), a method of sowing paddy seeds directly in fields, as an alternative.
Popular DSR varieties in the region include Sukha-1, Sukha-3, and Hardinath-1, known for their drought tolerance and suitability for direct seeding.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development’s data released on Sunday (Shrawan 18), only 57.28%—or 213,438 hectares—of the 372,645 hectares of arable paddy fields in Madhesh have been planted.
Nationally, 1,156,687 hectares out of 1,378,966 hectares have been transplanted, achieving a progress rate of 83.88%.
Last year, by Shrawan 20, this figure was 96.47%.The prolonged drought plunged Madhesh into an agricultural crisis. On Asar 27, the Madhesh provincial cabinet declared the entire province a drought-affected area.
On Shrawan 8, the federal government designated Madhesh a disaster-affected zone for three months under Section 32 (1) of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, 2074.
If the crisis persists, the government may extend this period with a formal notice, as per Sub-section 2.While recent rainfall has revived farmers’ hopes, experts warn that consistent rain is essential for a successful planting season.
They urge immediate government support—including irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, and technical assistance—to avert a potential rice production crisis in Madhesh.